


maybe someday (you'll be somewhere)

by orphan_account



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmates, and i love them, because i have no semblance of self control, but i wanted to continue it, cough, fun fact, so here, take this fucking buLLSHIT, this is gonna be a shitshow, this was actually a crewri project, what do i tag this with ffs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-11
Updated: 2016-12-11
Packaged: 2018-09-08 00:10:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8821810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: In a world where everything is black and white until you make physical contact with your soulmate, Ray Narvaez Jr. has always been the odd man out, surrounded by friends who've already found the loves of their lives. Then, he meets Ryan Haywood, a tall man whose smile doesn't quite reach his eyes, and his entire world is thrown into color.{ON HOLD}





	

“So you’re telling me,” Ray says slowly, his fingers wrapped loosely around the neck of the last beer bottle, “that your first words to your soulmate were ‘watch where you’re going, asshole’?”

Michael grins, his dimple blossoming in his freckled cheek. “Yeah. Judge me, Narvaez.”

“Of course; it’s what I do best, after all,” Ray sniffs. “You two are disgusting, by the way; I hope you’re aware.”

“You’ve mentioned,” Michael replies, punching Ray not-so-gently in the arm.

Before Ray can provide a witty retort, Gavin comes back from his alcohol run, wielding two six-packs of hard apple cider and singing something nearly unintelligible about "my lovely Micool!!" Michael’s face immediately lights up.

“Hey, Gavvers,” he says sweetly, smiling and hauling Gavin closer by the waist.

Gavin, a British idiot who Ray has surprisingly taken a liking to (his annoyingness is endearing), actually giggles. “You’re gonna break all the bottles, you pleb. And then all my troubles will be for naught.”

Michael laughs back, looking into Gavin’s eyes like this is a damn romcom or something. “You’re the pleb, you idiot.”

Gavin smiles, cooing, “My Michael…you’re so cruel to me…” Michael snickers and cards his fingers through Gavin’s hair, and Gavin hums, pressing his head against Michael’s hand.

Ray has not known Gavin for very long, but he’s been best friends with Michael for as long as he can remember, and he knows what Michael looks like when he wants to bang the shit out of someone.

Ray coughs. “Not that this isn’t fun, but I feel like you guys are gonna end up fucking whether I’m still here or not.”

Michael actually shrugs. “Maybe.”

Ray whines,  _“Rude,”_ ignoring the envy curdling in his stomach. He steals one of the six-packs (they won’t be needing them both, surely) and bids them a good-natured farewell.

The smile on his face drops as soon as he leaves their apartment.

***

RAY - JACK TEXTING THREAD

RAY: jack

RAY: jaaaaaaack

RAY: jacky boy

RAY: jackjackjackjackjaaaaaaaaaaaaaacccccckkkkkkkkk

RAY: jackass

JACK: Someone’s patient.

RAY: hush

RAY: i don't have to be patient i am an ADULT okay

JACK: If you say so.

RAY: shut up and let me rant about michael and gavin

JACK: Oh, god. Are we really doing this again?

RAY: they are positively disgusting

RAY: they legit only do three things

RAY: tops

RAY: they drink

RAY: they play video games

RAY: and they fuck

RAY: that is all

RAY: nothing more to see here people move along

JACK: Can you blame them? They are in their honeymoon phase, after all.

RAY: have you seen them together

RAY: their honeymoon phase is going to last literally forever

JACK: It sounds like someone’s jealous.

JACK: Do you want to talk about it?

RAY: who says im jealous

JACK: Ray, I have eyes.

RAY: fuck off

JACK: Your defensive attitude towards the topic just eliminated any doubts; thanks.

RAY: oh COME on

RAY: HOW ARE YOU NOT JEALOUS OF THEM

JACK: It’s not hard when you’re not supposed to have a soulmate.

RAY: sorry

RAY: forgot

JACK: It’s okay; there’s no reason for me to be offended by it.

RAY: i still feel bad

JACK: No need.

RAY: bUT THEYRE LIKE THE PERFECT COUPLE THO

RAY: dammit

RAY: when michael told me about gav i told myself

RAY: shut up

RAY: youre not gonna ruin this for him

RAY: hes your best friend for christs sake

RAY: but lately ive been seeing them together and being jealous

RAY: not because michaels my soulmate and im not his

RAY: god no

RAY: that ship sunk a looonnng time ago

RAY: its just that

RAY: i want what they have

RAY: yknow?

JACK: Yeah, I think I do.

JACK: Well, all I can say is that you’re not going to find a soulmate if you don’t look for one.

RAY: i know that

RAY: im just

RAY: really super lazy

JACK: Oh, trust me, I know.

RAY: hey

RAY: you werent supposed to agree with me

RAY: you were supposed to go

RAY: oh ray

RAY: stop putting yourself down all the time

RAY: youre secretly fantastical in every way

RAY: also heres $1m for just being a great guy

JACK: I wasn’t raised a liar, Ray.

RAY: i feel attacked

JACK: You deserve it.

RAY: RUDE

JACK: See you later, Ray. Talk to me again if you need it.

RAY: ffs

RAY: bye jack

RAY: you jerk

JACK: Bye.

END TEXTING THREAD

***

“Hey, Ray, what’s up, man?” Geoff says, pulling Ray into a tight hug. “Haven’t seen you in a while!”

Ray grins and hugs him back. Geoff gives the best hugs. “Yeah, well, stuff happens. I’ve been pretty busy lately,” he lies through his teeth.

Geoff scoffs and pulls back, clapping Ray on the shoulder. “You’re a crappy liar, man. Get a job.”

Ray huffs. “You’re a mean, rude person, and I loathe to associate with you.”

“You love me. Anyway, I wanted you to meet a friend of mine.”

It is then when Ray notices the friend in question.

And,  _oh._ My  _god._

Ray kind of dies a little inside.

He’s taller than Ray (which admittedly isn’t that hard, but still); Ray would estimate about six foot. He’s well-built and stocky, his thin shirt clinging nicely to his chest. He smiles thinly at Ray, and it’s a damn nice smile, even if it looks rather strained. And, Ray notices, the smile doesn’t reach his eyes; it makes his face look hard, as if the smile’s been carved into his face. It stirs something uncomfortable, wrong, in Ray’s stomach that he doesn’t quite have a name for.

“Hey,” the mysterious guy says quietly, and dammit, dammit dammit _dammit,_ he has a nice voice too. This is going to be a problem.

Geoff puts a protective hand on the man’s shoulder. “This is Ryan. We met at a bar a few weeks back--”

“That is how every good love story starts, after all,” Ray interjects.

“Shut up. Anyways, he’s cool.”

The hot dude holds out a hand, and Ray takes it, preparing an awful come-on he hopes this guy will appreciate. Then, a searing pain shoots through his fingers.

He pulls away, hissing,  _“Ow._  Shit."

“Hey, you okay?” Geoff says anxiously. “What’s up?”

Ray doesn’t answer.

He’d heard before that everyone knows what the colors are as they see them, and it’s only now that he can confirm it, because his palm is colored.

His  _palm._

Is  _colored._

An adjective pops into his head--tan--as it spreads up his arm and to his hoodie. As it goes, Ray feels something warm and comfortable spreading across his chest.

The world around him is suddenly a storm of colors and visual sensations he’s only ever heard about in books, and Ray is bathing in it all, in awe under everything.

It is then when he realizes where he is.

The man, Ryan, is looking at him, a confused expression on his face. “Are...you okay?” he says, and his eyes are cold and warm at the same time. They almost match the sky behind him-- _blue,_ Ray thinks feverishly, dizzily--and blue quickly becomes Ray’s favorite color.

Ryan is looking at him, puzzled. With a feeling that reminds Ray of missing a step on the stairs, terrifying and sudden and awful, it occurs to him that Ryan didn’t react.

Ryan didn’t seem to feel the hot surge of pain Ray did.

Ryan didn’t seem to notice the world around him erupt into colors Ray can’t even imagine.

Ryan is Ray’s soulmate.

But Ray isn’t Ryan’s.

He splutters, “Have to go. Sorry Geoff, I’ll meet you for drinks on Saturday or something. Text me.” And then he’s walking away as quickly as he can, not waiting for Geoff’s response as his eyes prick with tears.

The cab ride home is spent staring out the window, ogling Austin as he’s never seen it before and decidedly ignoring the low pain in his chest.

***

_“Michael, I’m in love with you,” Ray says, and as soon as it comes out of his mouth, he wants to take it back, but it’s too late to stop now. So he keeps going, ignoring the way Michael’s smile drops. “Have been for a long time. It’s like, you’re just always there, y’know? You’re always there for me, helping me out with my science homework and playing video games with me and stuff. You’re everything to me. But I want it to be more.”_

_“Ray…” Michael says softly, looking so damn sorry, and Ray hates it so much._

_“Will you at least give me a chance?” he tries, taking Michael’s hand._

_Michael pulls away, shaking his head. “Ray...we’re not soulmates.”_

_“I don’t care, Michael, I…” Then, Ray looks closer. “Your eyes,” he says, almost as an afterthought._

_“What about them?” Michael says, and no, that’s not his voice; Ray knows Michael’s voice from all the years of 3AM phone calls and laughing about stupid things. This voice is deeper, smoother, calmer._

_Ray backs away, his stomach clenching nervously. “They’re not...yours. Michael, what’s--”_

_Michael smiles, his bright blue eyes cold and sharp as steel. His hair changes color and style; it turns blonde and straight, as opposed to Michael’s auburn curls. His jaw becomes wider; he becomes taller; he becomes stockier, and it’s wrong, all wrong. Ray feels bile rise in his throat as he sobs, “Oh,_ god…”

_“You’re not mine, either,” Michael says, except it’s not Michael anymore. It’s Ryan, the smile seemingly cut into his face. “You’re not mine.”_

Ray wakes up from the dream crying.

***

RAY - GEOFF TEXTING THREAD

GEOFF: Hey ray

GEOFF: What the hell was that

RAY: im sorry man

RAY: i just remembered about a burn on my hand

RAY: and ryan touched it and it really hurt

RAY: i had to go home and treat it

GEOFF: …

GEOFF: I may be an idiot

GEOFF: But im not stupid

RAY: yeah that was kind of shitty lying wasnt it

GEOFF: Yeah it really was

RAY: yeah but im sorry

RAY: i cant tell you right now

RAY: its just

RAY: uh

RAY: well i cant really tell you right now

RAY: im still kind of working through this

RAY: thing

RAY: right now

RAY: and the most you could do is just not pressure me about it

GEOFF: Im not gonna push you

GEOFF: But find some way to tell me eventually

GEOFF: Okay?

RAY: yeah man of course

END TEXTING THREAD

***

The next day, Michael invites Ray over to his and Gavin’s apartment. Ray stares at the wall of text on his phone screen and barely reads it, only gathering the words “COME OVER NOW IDIOT”, as well as about 17 profanities. Sighing, he pulls a white t-shirt over his head, inwardly cursing the ache behind his eyes.

The cab ride to their apartment is quiet.

“‘Sup, loser,” Michael says, tearing off Ray’s hood and ruffling his hair. The knot in his stomach lessens slightly, and Ray smiles.

“The pot calling the kettle black,” Ray remarks. “Dick; you messed up my hair!”

“I don’t really see a difference, X-Ray,” Gavin comments sweetly, snaking his weirdly long arms around Michael’s waist and kissing him on the cheek. Ray ignores the clench in his stomach.

Michael whistles. “Damn.”

Ray points at Gavin menacingly. “Hey. No comments from the peanut gallery. Your hair looks like a small animal made a nest in it, had like seven children, and then died, okay, shut the fuck up.”

Gavin pouts as Michael crows gleefully,  _“Damn!_ Gavin, you just got fucking destroyed!”

“Oh, are we all gonna just roast Vav now?” Ray says excitedly. “That’s my favorite part of the day! Okay! Wait! Hey, Michael, didn’t Gavin slip in the shower once and get a six-inch cut on his ass?”

“Can we all just go inside, please?” Gavin grumbles crossly.

“Aw, Gavin, you know I love you,” Ray says smugly.

Gavin snickers. “You’re a tosser.”

“Okay, so, I have something really important? To like, tell you guys?” Ray says, once they’re properly situated with booze and movies on Michael’s couch.

Michael fake-gasps, messing with the short hair at the nape of Gavin’s neck. “You’re pregnant?”

“Oh my god, shut your face-hole,” Ray laughs, rolling his eyes. “Anyways, it’s like, really important.”

Gavin fake-gasps even louder. “You’re  _gay?”_

“You already know I’m gay,” Ray says exasperatedly. “But seriously, you guys.”

Michael thinks for a moment, then shrugs. “Eh, I’m out of jokes. What is it, Ray?”

Ray breathes deeply, thinking about how much he wishes he doesn’t have to do this, and then speaks. “I found my soulmate yesterday.” And even as he says it, he hates the way it sounds coming out of his mouth. He wishes he’d never met the stupid guy; he  _hates_  him  _so much--_

“Aww, X-Rayyy!” Gavin squeals, exaggeratedly wiping at his eyes. “Michael, they grow up so fast, don’t they?”

“Damn, dude, good for you!” Michael says, impressed. “Who’s the lucky guy? Or, at least, I’m assuming it’s a guy--”

“Guys,” Ray cuts him off quietly. “He’s not…” He breathes in deeply, exhales, tries again. “I’m not his…” Before he can finish whatever he was about to say, he feels tears pricking at the corners of his eyes, and no no nono. He will not cry in front of these guys; they may be his best friends but they don’t want to take care of his stupid emotional ass; he can just tell. “I’m not his soulmate, and when I touched him and I started seeing--colors, ‘n stuff, he just _stared_ at me and  _asked me if I was okay--”_

“Oh,  _X-Ray,”_  Gavin says sorrowfully, pulling Ray into his chest. “‘M so sorry, Ray; ‘m so sorry...”

Ray doesn’t say anything; just cries as Michael’s arms join Gavin’s around Ray’s back.

He hates crying; hates it more than anything else. It makes him feel weak and stupid and useless, and he  _hates it._

But every time he tries to stop, he fails, so he gives up, and lets himself sob into Gavin’s chest.

***

The next morning is average, aside from Gavin sending him an image file and then begging him not to open it, saying vehemently “IM SORRY X RAY THAT WAS N O T MEANT FOR YOU PLEASE DONT LOOK AT IT”. Ray sends back “youre fucking disgusting” and throws his phone onto his bed, looking disgustedly at it.

He spends his day being upset at himself, watching all three of theHigh School MusicaIs twice in a row, and filling out a couple job applications for a GameStop Michael had told him was hiring. All in all, it’s a pretty okay day.

Wait, no.

It’s a pretty okay day, until Geoff texts him.

RAY - GEOFF TEXTING THREAD

GEOFF: Hey narvaez

RAY: hey geoff

RAY: whats up

GEOFF: Thought you might want ryans number

Ray immediately blanches. No, he does not want Ryan’s number. Why would he want to be reminded of everything he can’t have?

RAY: what

RAY: why would i want that

GEOFF: Uh

GEOFF: ????

GEOFF: I have eyes you know

GEOFF: You wanted to hit that

GEOFF: Hes a fucking golden god

RAY: excuse me NO

RAY: i just appreciated his attractiveness from afar and vowed never to sleep with him ever

RAY: shut up geoff

GEOFF: I didnt say anything

RAY: i know that

RAY: you were being a smug shithead

RAY: i could tell

GEOFF: Eh

GEOFF: Fair

RAY: anyways yeah i dont want ryans number

GEOFF: What

GEOFF: Seriously why

Ray winces. He feels bad about having to lie to Geoff, but he types a response.

RAY: ill tell you later

GEOFF: …

GEOFF: Okay sure

GEOFF: Im giving it to you anyway

RAY: nO

GEOFF: (***) ***-****

RAY: i hate you

GEOFF: Hey i never said you had to USE it

GEOFF: If youre not gonna text him then why are you so against me giving you the goddamn number

RAY: …

GEOFF: Gotcha

GEOFF: Man youre so tsundere

RAY: this is abuse

GEOFF: Love you

RAY: im flipping you off right now jsyk

GEOFF: I bet you are

GEOFF: Anyways gotta go

GEOFF: Im cooking dinner for griffon tonight

GEOFF: Have fun not texting ryan or whatever

END TEXTING THREAD

Ray sighs and massages the bridge of his nose. Geoff really is far too observant for his own good.

Great! So now he has a hot guy’s number, his soulmate’s, mind you, and he can’t use it, because he’s not the guy’s soulmate, and he can’t afford to further emotionally exhaust himself. He’s already gone through enough hell, thank you.

But, on the other hand…

That smile that he’d worn when Ray had met him didn’t seem real. It seemed to be forced onto his face like a mask, and he’d still been frustratingly beautiful, but still.

Curiosity fills Ray’s head.  _Is there something wrong with him? Is he constantly cold and upset, but hiding it? Was he just having an off day?_

After getting sidetracked to how Ryan’s eyes looked when the sun hit them perfectly, he mentally curses himself for being so goddamnhormonal about something so stupid. For god’s sake, it was just a contortion of face muscles. It wasn’t that important.

But he still wants to know more.

Frowning, he tosses his phone onto the couch and goes to turn on the TV, but stops halfway. Something calls him back.

Slowly, he turns around and glares at his phone. “No,” he says firmly. “I am not gonna text  _Ryan the Soulmate Guy_  just because Geoff thinks he can play  _matchmaker._ The fuck does he know, anyway,” he grumbles, turning back towards the TV.

He stops again.

Then, he goes and picks up his phone, hating himself for it.

RAY - RYAN TEXTING THREAD

RAY: hey man

RAY: uh

RAY: its me

RAY: wait you dont know who i am hang on

RAY: its ray

RAY: the guy geoff introduced you to?

 _“Goddammit,”_ Ray curses out loud. Wow, great job, Narvaez. You blew your first impression, and then you had another shot at it, and messed that up too. God, can you do anything right? Jesus.

He holds his breath as the little  _RYAN is typing…_  message flickers at the top of his phone screen. This shouldn’t make him so nervous. Why is it making him so nervous?

RYAN: Oh, yeah. I remember you.

RYAN: Trying to make a better impression, are we? :)

The fact that he used a smiley face is surprisingly adorable. Huh.

RAY: am i that obvious

RAY: damn

RAY: yeah im trying to do that

RAY: because i totally ditched you back there

RYAN: You did. Shame, too; I would’ve liked to get to know you better.

Ray’s heart almost beats out of his chest. He can feel blood rush to his face as he says softly, “Dammit, he’s so cute; _why?”_  He tries (and fails) to stop his fingers from shaking slightly as he thumbs a response.

RAY: heh

RAY: well nows our chance

RAY: no time like the present

RYAN: Ha. Agreed.

RYAN: Well, I’m Geoff’s friend, obviously. I’m into video games and men. I also did modeling, for a while.

Honestly, Ray can’t say he’s surprised about the modeling thing. The dude is hot.

RAY: oh my god

RAY: thats basically me except the modeling part

RYAN: Looks like we have a lot in common, then.

Okay, if Ryan is flirting with him, Ray will die. He’ll actually just keel over and kick the bucket. At the morgue, it’ll be like, name? Ray Narvaez Junior. Cause of death? Ryan Whateverhislastnameis.

RAY: yeah

RYAN: So, I’ve been thinking.

RAY: you know that thinking shits dangerous man

RYAN: Heh. Anyways, I didn’t get a chance to really talk to you in person, so how about going out for drinks sometime this weekend?

Ray hurriedly checks the date. Thursday. Okay, cool, he has time to mentally prepare himself to see Ryan again.

RAY: sure man sounds good

RAY: friday night?

RYAN: I don’t have anything going on; that’s good with me. But, I have things to attend to right now. We’ll continue the plans for this later, if that’s okay with you.

RAY: sure

RYAN: And thank you for texting me. I was a bit worried I’d lost my chance to meet a friend of Geoff’s. It would make things a little awkward.

RAY: yeah dude of course

RAY: it was nice getting to know you a little bit better

RYAN: Same to you, Ray. :P

RYAN: Bye.

RAY: see ya man

Ray places his phone on the coffee table and grinds the heels of his hands into his eyes, groaning. He’s so, so screwed.

***

Eventually, the weekend comes around, and Ray is in no way prepared for it.

Oh, you thought he was nervous before? No, it’s somehow  _worse_  now. Fuck this, honestly.

They’d agreed on some hole-in-the-wall place a couple blocks from Ray’s apartment complex. He’d passed it before while riding to Michael and Gavin’s place. As he walks, he simultaneously thinks about how much he hates his life, and how goddamn excited he is right now, because Ryan is sweet and pretty, and Ray is very shallow.

When he pushes open the door to the nameless bar, a wave of sound immediately washes over him. There are people everywhere he looks, laughing and talking. Glasses clink. Some obnoxious white guy is crooning a shitty cover of a Justin Bieber song into the mic up onstage, and Ray is already uncomfortable. He hates places like this, which is difficult when he’s friends with people like Michael and Gavin, who adore the ruddy atmospheres of these bars.

And then he sees Ryan, and all other thoughts disappear from his mind.

The man in question is sitting up at the bar, looking like something out of Grease, minus several tons of hair product. He’s wearing a white t-shirt, what looks like a navy blue-black letterman jacket, and dark jeans that are snug in exactly the right places. Compared to him, in his purple Twitch hoodie, black skinny jeans that bunch at his ankles, and tattered checkered Vans, Ray looks like he just stepped out of a dumpster.

Then Ryan smiles, and it’s real this time. It makes something big and elated swell in Ray’s chest, and he smiles back.

“Hey, Ray,” Ryan says, in that damn voice of his. “Is it cold outside at all?”

Ray shrugs, choosing to ignore the fact that his heart is hammering against his ribcage. “Eh. I was pretty okay.”

Ryan grins. “Sit down; I’ll buy you something.”

Ray, takes the seat, the color rising to his cheeks as he mutters, “...don’t need to do that, Rye, you’re too nice. We literally just met."

Ryan looks at him, a peculiar expression on his face that Ray can’t quite place. “You called me Rye.”

Ray flushes; the nickname had sprung to his lips on instinct. Ray’s lazy as all hell, so nicknames are great for him. “Sorry, I just--I use nicknames a lot; it’s a thing--”

Ryan’s lip quirks. “No, it’s okay. I like it,” he says, almost as an afterthought.

The knot of nervousness in Ray’s stomach slowly begins to loosen, spreading warmth into his torso.

Conversation comes easily to them after the initial awkwardness of the situation passes. They talk about video games they’ve played, how creepily observant Geoff is, and the fact they share a friendship with the dynamic duo, Michael and Gavin. Turns out, Ryan isn’t just a pretty face. He’s articulate and smart, and jokes around with Ray as if they’ve been friends for years.

Ray loves every minute of it.

Eventually, he has to leave before he does a really stupid thing, like  _kiss_ the guy or something, but Ryan insists that they see each other again, eyes shining with something that makes Ray’s heart beat faster.

Ray agrees, waving to Ryan as he steps through the door and leaves the loud of the bar behind him.

Ray agrees, shoving his already-freezing hands into his pockets and recalling Ryan’s stupid pretty smile and the way he laughed when Ray said something dumb.

Ray agrees, even though he knows he’s fallen too hard already.


End file.
